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Myrmicinae

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Not to be confused with Myrmeciinae.

Myrmicinae
Temporal range: Turonian–Recent
Atta cephalotes worker
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835
Type genus
Myrmica
Diversity[1]
c. 142 extant genera in 25 tribes

Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants.[1] There are about 140 genera within the group, with the family being cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and in soil, rotting wood, under stones or in trees.[2]

Identification

Myrmicine worker ants have a distinct postpetiole, i.e., abdominal segment III is notably smaller than segment IV and set off from it by a well developed constriction; the pronotum is inflexibly fused to the rest of the mesosoma, such that the promesonotal suture is weakly impressed or absent; and a functional sting is usually present. The clypeus is well developed; as a result the antennal sockets are well separated from the anterior margin of the head (cf. Ecitoninae). Most myrmicine genera possess well developed eyes, and frontal lobes that partly conceal the antennal insertions.[3]

Tribes

Genera

References

  1. ^ a b Bolton, B. (2013), "An online catalog of the ants of the world.", AntCat, retrieved 22 September 2013
  2. ^ Goulet, H & Huber, JT (eds.) (1993) Hymenoptera of the world: an identification guide to families. Agriculture Canada. p. 224
  3. ^ "Subfamily: Myrmicinae". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
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